WFP’s Cantor on convention: There was love in that room

Working Families Party national director Dan Cantor says in an email to supporters that the May 31 convention at the Desmond in Colonie “was an un-scripted, un-sanitized, un-edited political debate at a political convention. Imagine that! 700 people were on the edge of their seats for 4 hours. The winners didn’t gloat, the losers didn’t stalk off. It was a room filled with strong feelings, with solidarity, with love.”

Cuomo won 58 percent of the weighted vote to win the WFP line over Fordham Law prof Zephyr Teachout, who Cantor called “a class act throughout,” especially for her call for unity. (He does not mention her subsequent threat to take Cuomo on in a Democratic primary.)

Cantor’s big takeaway might seem less than mind-blowing: Progressives seem to agree on the need for Democrats to take over the state Senate.

In the end, what carried the day for the Governor was the emergence of a unified effort – Mayor de Blasio, New York WFP, much of the labor movement, community organizations, the State Democratic Party, and, of course, the Governor – to once and for all remove the Republican Party from control of the State Senate. Even as there was disagreement on the party’s gubernatorial nomination, there was none at all on the centrality of returning the State Senate to a Democrat-Working Families majority.

Mpre from Cantor’s email:

The fast food, car wash, and other low-wage worker advocates in the party have reason to be especially excited. The Governor’s decision to lead the effort to take back the state Senate makes legislation possible to dramatically raise wages for low-wage workers.

This was the most hard-fought decision the NY WFP has ever made. There are wonderful people within this organization who profoundly disagree with one another about whether it was the right one. But I think I can say with confidence that the vast majority do agree that it was a privilege to face this challenge. We have built a real organization, with real power. That’s why the stakes, as well as the emotions, were high.

If we win the electoral victories in November that we believe are within our reach, good things will start to happen, and they will have the support of the Governor. On the list:

An increase in the minimum wage to $10.10, indexed to inflation, with a way for low-wage workers to increase it another 30% above that in high cost cities and counties across the state. This would put New York City in the same category as Seattle, after their recent passage of $15 / hour.

Increased access to college for the children of immigrants via the DREAM Act.

Significant gains for women (and men) on both the economy (pay equity, etc.) and reproductive rights with passage of the Women’s Equality Act.

An end to the counter-productive and racist sentencing of thousands of young men, mostly black and brown, by decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, which of course alters life trajectories in all sorts of terrible (and utterly predictable) ways.

Increasing the state’s investment in high need school districts, including support for 100 new Community Schools. Missing here is full funding for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity formula, and we remained committed to working towards that.

Passage of public financing of elections, which will end the dominance of big money in Albany and unlock the door to progress on other issues in the future.

Of course, we have to win the elections first, and the big-money crowd will do everything possible to stop us. The real estate lobby, the Wall Street millionaires who want to privatize everything — they’ll all be pouring money into the Republicans.

In other words, we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’ll need voters, door-knockers, house-party hosts, phoners, arguers, counter-arguers, and all the rest that makes democracy possible. Whether you live in New York or are building the WFP in another state, I hope you will do what you can to bring this one home.

Casey Seiler

13 Responses

TU: How about a reaction piece to the 60 minutes story on the debacle of the country’s mental health system. The shootings, prisons crowded with schizophrenia, the dumping of mental health patients and the failed funding for the “new outreach” for residential patients. With the new center of excellence the 60 minutes story merits a look!!

“Of course, we have to win the elections first, and the big-money crowd will do everything possible to stop us. The real estate lobby, the Wall Street millionaires who want to privatize everything — they’ll all be pouring money into the Republicans.”
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Uh, someone needs to remind Cantor about things like the (now defunct) Committee to Save New York, Ken Langone and “Republicans for Cuomo”, and just how much of Cuomo campaign money has come from the donors he laments in this statement – practically ALL OF IT.
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Cuomo is not the WFPs ally, no matter how hard Cantor tries to sell it that he is.

So their main reason for supporting Cuomo was that he was going to help recapture the Senate for the Democrats???

Today’s Times Union: “Speaking to reporters in Dutchess County, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that his desire to see the main Senate Democratic conference reunited with the breakaway Independent Democratic faction will have to wait until after this year’s elections”

It didn’t take long to break that promise did it? The fact that they were foolish enough to believe him and give him their support is why I already moved onto the Green Party. He would not be my first choice, but he is far better than the other main options

The usual attacks on WFP from Republicans, & what seems to be Republicans pretending to be Greens.
But the proof is in the pudding.
If REAL Democrats take the Senate, & progressive legislation such as Fair Elections Reform, a Minimum Wage hike, Women’s Equality Agenda, etc., then we will know that WFP didn’t sell out, but actually improved the lives of Working Class NYers.

As Just an Observer commented, Cuomo stated the reuniting of the Democrats may not happen this year. The WFP should feel used, it clearly was. The split in the Dems works in Cuomo’s favor. Cantor should have remained on the sidelines and waited to see how this election cycle plays out. His email was premature and makes an easy target for those that feel abandoned by the WFP.